Purdue Molecular Biophysics Training Program

The mission of the Purdue University Molecular Biophysics Training program (MBTP) is to bring together outstanding graduate students from multiple departments and colleges across campus into a cohesive training program that (i) provides enhanced training in the rigorous and reproducible application of molecular biophysics to modern problems in human health and disease, (ii) fosters effective mentorship and teamwork, and (iii) offers career development opportunities tailored to individual trainees. Trainees are typically appointed for two years at the beginning of their second year of study after they join one of 32 preceptor labs. They choose from a rigorous palette of biophysics courses appropriate for their individual thesis projects and participate in hands-on workshops provided by local and/or national experts. They help develop and host an interdepartmental biophysics seminar series called the Frontiers in Biophysical Sciences Seminar, which showcases trainee-selected external speakers as well as the research of trainees across campus. They also independently plan and implement Purdue’s annual biophysics symposium called the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Biomolecular Galaxy. Trainees also benefit from exercises in teamwork built into the program coursework and symposium planning, active development and implementation of detailed individual development plans, personalized teaching opportunities in preceptor classes, a grant-writing class tailored to biophysical topics designed to launch F31 proposals, and training in the responsible conduct of research including lectures from MBTP preceptors. By leveraging Purdue’s investment in Biology Education and self-assessment, the training program and its individual activities are evaluated and refined annually to ensure that the program is meeting trainee needs and program objectives, with the long-term goal of producing excellent biophysicists who can meet the needs of an increasingly complex world.